Only Human
by colormenikki
Summary: Sequel to "Can You Save Me?". Sometimes realizing who you are is the worst thing that can happen. A new threat puts Stella's humanity to the test and is determined to be the ruin of the Avengers and everything they stand for. Sometimes we are only human - and sometimes that is just not enough. Bruce/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Stella and the plot are mine.**

* * *

___Finding out you're only human is hard.  
__I want to change the world,  
__But I don't know where to start.  
__And I am bold enough to believe  
__There's hope among the ruin,  
__Finding out you're only human._

Stella shot straight up in bed. The alarms were so loud that she had to cover her ears as she struggled to stand up. Her legs entangled in the covers made her nearly fall out and onto the floor but she quickly righted herself and skidded over to her door. Falling against the frame she waited, bouncing up and down on her toes, for the automatic system to slide the door open. When it finally _swooshed_ across she staggered out into the hallway clad in her bright orange nightgown with her light pink hair a static mess all around her head.

"Friends!" She shouted into the hallway, knowing full well that her cries were not loud enough to be heard. "Friends?!"

Steve launched himself out of his room fully dressed in his uniform, eyes wide and ready for action. Stella briefly wondered if he had slept in it. His mouth formed her name as he made his way over to her. She kept her hands pressed tightly to her ears, gritting her teeth and squinting her eyes. The glaring red of the alarm was bright and illuminating every inch of the hallway.

Clint tumbled out of his own room down the hall, falling over backwards as he hurried to pull on his boot. He sprung to his feet with expert agility and kept his hand on his gun attached to his belt. Natasha gracefully exited her room, perfectly poised without a single hair astray, and quickly ran over to the group.

The group of Avengers were on high alert as they ran down the hallway. A door opened and out came Thor, his cape barely on but Mjolnir firmly grasped in his hand.

"What madness is this?!" His booming voice reached above the screeching alarms. He struggled to get the clasp of his cape snapped in and Stella hurried to fix it for him.

"I don't know!" Steve's voice was barely heard. "We gotta get downstairs!"

"Bruce!" Stella whipped her head around and made to go back down the hallway to find him.

"There's no time!" Steve grabbed her wrist and started to lead her down the hall when she yanked her hand away.

"I will not leave him!"

"_RAAAHHH!"_

Bruce's door was larger than the rest - and for good measure too. The Hulk came bounding out, the remains of Bruce's nightwear barely clinging to his huge form. He thundered down the hall and scooped up Natasha along with Stella and, without missing a beat, kept going forward to the staircase. Stella yelled "Find Tony!" as she was carried away.

"Let's move!" Steve called after he had regained his composure from watching Hulk's entrance.

The team all but flew down the main staircase and rounded the corner into the massive main room. It was huge; a television screen spanned the length of one long wall with various StarkTech monitors and gadgets hooked up to it. A large U-shaped couch faced the screen and just behind the couch was an enormous kitchen with two refrigerators (The Avengers were a hungry crowd, much to Thor's delight). A dining area was off to the side, the long rectangular table able to seat all of the Avengers and then some.

"There's nothing on the screen!" Clint yelled out as he watched Hulk twist every which way, looking for danger. Stella and Natasha were like rag dolls in his arms, their bodies jerking with each of his spastic turns. Stella struggled to keep her nightgown against her legs. The Hulk's big arm made it hard for her small hands to reach over and keep the fabric from flying up.

Thor paused and sniffed the air, "Do you smell that?"

"Thor, now is not the time to-" Steve paused and sniffed as well. "Bacon?"

"I do not understand!" Stella called out, her silvery eyes wide and scared. "Why is everything so loud and why does everything smell so good?! This is most distressing!"

Movement directed all of their eyes to the kitchen as they watched Tony Stark walk out with an apron tied around his waist and carrying a huge frying pan full of scrambled eggs. He gave them all a strange look and held up his free hand. A small device with a red button was grasped in his palm and he used his thumb to click down on it. Immediately the blaring alarm and the red lights went off.

"Hey, guys," he said as if nothing had happened at all. "How goes it?"

Steve blinked, "What's going on? And why are you holding a pan full of eggs?"

Tony shrugged, "Breakfast."

"_B-breakfast_?" Clint asked incredulously. "There's an emergency going on! The alarm was going off and you're making _breakfast_?!"

Tony walked over to the dining room table and set the pan down on a pad next to a plate piled with bacon. He turned to his friends all crowded around looking extremely confused and held up the small device, giving it a little shake.

"I turned it off."

"Where is the danger, Man of Iron?" Thor asked while his eyes not so secretly gazed at the steaming hot food.

Tony narrowed his eyes and said slowly as if he were talking to three-year-olds, "There is none."

Hulk dropped Stella and Natasha into a heap on the ground, his arms hanging at his sides, "No bad guys?"

"No bad guys," Tony shook his head. "Just food."

"Food!" Hulk leaped over the two women, who were groaning and tangled on the ground, and rushed to the table.

Tony held a hand out, "For Bruce. Not you, big guy."

Hulk pouted, "Why not?"

"Because you will eat it all," Tony gave him a look. "Now give me back my brainy and awkward friend."

Hulk stormed off in a rage after being denied food and Tony shrugged as he watched the big green mass run away, "So, Bruce will be late to breakfast, I guess."

"Tony," Steve's voice was hard. "What the heck was that? You sounded the emergency alarm to call us down for _breakfast_?"

"Noooo," Tony gave the super soldier a look, his voice dipping down and then going back up. "I sounded the _breakfast_ alarm. It's different."

"_That_ was the _breakfast_ alarm?" Natasha was livid as she helped Stella up off the ground.

The pink haired woman quickly fixed her nightgown and looked at her friends.

"I do not see how breakfast is an emergency. Have I missed something?" She asked curiously.

Tony looked at his friends incredulously, "Guys! This is the first time we're all together in the new mansion! Breakfast is a big deal, damnit."

"Tony, we've lived here for four months now," Clint said as he scratched his head and yawned.

"Yeah, but not all together. You were just in Dubai and before that Thor was in Washington-"

"Trying to find Jane!"

"And we'll find her, He-Man. But even before _that_, Ms. Romanoff over here was gallivanting through Istanbul."

Natasha huffed, "We have jobs, Tony."

Clint added, "And I had a _very_ sensitive mission."

"I know, I know," Tony rolled his eyes. "Ghost Protocol or whatever the hell that was-"

"How did he know?" Clint questioned to himself.

"-and yet we've all never had breakfast together in this mansion that I _slaved_ over for months after that mama's boy destroyed Stark Tower 2.0. So humor me and eat these damn eggs and this shit-load of bacon I just made."

Steve made his way over to the table, still glaring at Tony but no longer able to keep his growling stomach at bay, "Something tells me you didn't make this yourself."

"Steve, that offends me. You have little faith in me. Eat."

Tony ushered all of his grumbling friends into their seats and soon the Avengers were all serving themselves breakfast and chatting idly. The philanthropist looked at the motley crew around him and couldn't help but smile into his glass of orange juice. He would never say it out loud, but these people were his life now. This team of superheroes, Pepper, S.H.I.E.L.D...they were all Tony had. Before any of it had started he had only thought about himself and while he was still selfish in some endeavors (because one as rich as he could never have too many cars), he noticed that his mindset had significantly changed. It was no longer just about protecting himself and his company - it was about protecting his family, these people sitting around him at the table.

"Tony?" Stella's tiny voice reached his ears. "Are you alright?"

He looked over to her and smiled at her wide eyes that cared so much about the answer to his question. She truly wanted to know how Tony was. He didn't think he'd ever get used to people caring about him but he really liked it nonetheless.

"Yeah, Supernova. I'm perfect."

Stella smiled and shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth. With her cheeks full and a broad smile on her face she giggled and replied, "Wonderful!" before continuing to chow down.

"Did I miss something?"

Tony noticed the pure joy that lit up Stella's face as the bashful voice of Bruce Banner filled the room and the billionaire's heart warmed at the sight.

_Yeah,_ Tony thought, _I could get used to this_.

* * *

Nick Fury had his back to the woman who had just walked in. His arms were crossed and he was hunched over an agent's shoulder, both of them peering at a computer screen.

"Are we sure that room can contain Molecule Man?"

The agent nodded, "Yes, sir. The room is fused with tiny living organisms whose exoskeletons are as strong as kevlar."

"Interesting," Fury remarked. "And Richards built this?"

"Reed Richards, yes."

Fury straightened and pulled on the lapels of his trench coat, "I'll have to thank him the next time I see him. You are dismissed, agent."

"Yes, sir."

Fury watched the agent leave and took notice of Maria Hill standing at the side of someone whom he did not know.

"Agent Hill, who is this?"

The unknown woman stepped forward. She had a hard face, the skin tight and her lips pulled into a thin line. Her eyes were a steel blue, piercing right into Fury's good eye. They contrasted with her jet black hair strung up into a neat bun. He noticed her hands clasped tightly behind her back, her clothes pressed to perfection. She narrowed her gaze at him and held her head up snootily, staring down her pointy nose at him.

"Director Fury," her accent was harsh- Russian, Fury recognized. "Melinna Von Vostokoff. Appointed by the council."

Fury's lip twitched, "Appointed by the council to do what?"

Melinna pursed her lips tighter, "Director Fury, the council does not like how you are operating S.H.I.E.L.D. You have defied their orders concerning global crises _twice_ now." She cocked her head to the side, "It seems that they no longer trust your judgement."

Fury took three long strides up to Melinna and stared down at her from his height, "Both of those times I successfully _averted_ the crisis and the world was _saved_. Did they forget that? And the second time doesn't even count as a _global_ crisis because all Molecule Man was was a confused and deranged man. He only wanted attention."

"And if he didn't get it from his stunt on Staten Island? Then what, Director?"

"You don't get to come in here and question me, Ms. Von Vostokoff. Hill," Fury barked, "get me the council."

"Yes, sir." Maria hurried out of the room while throwing a worried look over her shoulder.

"What authority do you have coming down here? And how did you even get in?" Fury's voice was low and menacing. He didn't appreciate being cornered and questioned like he was now.

Melinna held up a laminated identification card, smirking and waving it between her fingers.

"I work here."

Maria rushed in, "Sir, the council isn't responding. I don't know what's going on."

Melinna's smirk became even more pronounced as Fury's gaze became suspicious.

"What position are you taking up, Ms. Vostokoff?"

Melinna clipped the ID card to her shirt and stood toe to toe with Fury, her steely blue eyes boring into his glaring brown one.

"Yours."

* * *

**I'm back! I'm so sorry this sequel took so long to get out. It was longer than I intended, but this has been my toughest semester of college yet. But the worst is over and I'm ready to go on with Stella and the rest of the Avengers' story! **

**I re-wrote this first chapter three times and changed my idea for this story more times than I can count but I'm really happy with the direction it's going now and it's everything I wanted for this story. I hope you all enjoyed the first installment to Only Human!**

**Note: Melinna Von Vostokoff is NOT an original character. She's a real character from Marvel but I'm tweaking her for my purposes. You'll see :] Only Stella is an OC.**

**If y'all are wondering, the song inspiration for this story and its title is Tim McGraw's upcoming single 'Only Human'. Give it a listen if you'd like :D**

**Your reviews keep me going and I can't wait to hear what y'all think! Remember, I love you all to teeny tiny bits and pieces!**

**Stay tuned!**

**xx Nikki**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Marvel. I don't own Jason Mraz's song (used below) entitled "Only Human". Only Stella and the plot are mine!

* * *

_Are you a riddle to solve all along?  
__Or am I over-thinking thoughts?  
__I'm human after all,  
__Only human, made of flesh, made of sand,  
__Made of human._

Stella followed on the back of Natasha's heels like a lost puppy. The assassin rolled her eyes with a smile and turned around too fast for Stella to anticipate. The tiny star woman ran into the Black Widow's strong frame and stumbled backwards. She grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of her head.

"I apologize, Natasha."

The red head smiled faintly, "It's okay, Stella. Why are you following me though?"

Stella glanced down at the black go-bag Natasha held at her side and immediately her silvery grey eyes filled with tears. Natasha's gaze softened as she watched Stella look to the ground and wring her hands out nervously. The way that Stella mirrored the shyness of Bruce was always endearing to the assassin.

"It's just..." Stella sighed and looked up, "I will miss you."

Natasha set down her bag and held her arms open. Stella rushed forward and clung to her in a very tight, slightly wet hug. She pulled away and frantically tried to wipe the tears off of Natasha's leather jacket.

In the past few months after the attacks on Stark Tower 2.0 and Staten Island, Natasha had begun to realize the importance of the people around her. On the outside she still kept up her cool exterior, but on the inside she found herself feeling things she had never felt before.

All of a sudden Thor was hysterical, Clint was her rock (although maybe she had known that all along), Tony was (_slightly _more) bearable, and Stella was irreplaceable. She couldn't imagine not seeing Bruce's quirky shyness around everybody including his pink haired sweetheart and not a day went by that she wasn't thankful that Steve was around to keep the team grounded and not at each other's throats _too_ much.

When Natasha had thought Stella had died -sacrificed herself for people who she had _always_ defended and called family- something had changed inside of her. The feeling of loss that had washed over her had been so immense that she hadn't even thought twice about falling to her knees and holding the back of Tony's shirt. She hadn't been able to take her gaze off of the rubble. She had felt herself wishing, _praying_ that somehow some _way_ Stella would be alive, Bruce would be alive.

Natasha had never needed anybody before.

But now she knew that she most certainly did.

And that was why she had taken to allowing Stella to hug her whenever the pink haired woman felt the need...which was more than the assassin had planned for, but again she felt that she didn't really mind. However, Stella was the _only_ person Natasha would permit to hug her, though others had tried ("Come on, just once! No groping or ass-grabbing, I _swear_." "Tony, I will murder you in your sleep." "It'll be worth it.").

Natasha looked down at her doe eyed friend and gave another semi-smile, "I'll be back before you know it. It's just a small mission. In and out. Easy as pie."

Stella's eyebrows furrowed and Natasha knew exactly what the woman would say next, "Easy as pie? I do not understand how food can be a difficulty level. Unless you are speaking about making it! Because then I understand that very well."

The assassin lightly laughed at the memories of Stella attempting to learn how to cook. She had been deemed by Tony as being unworthy to wield a cooking utensil and had been forbidden from ever operating the stove, microwave, toaster, _or_ coffee maker.

Stella pursed her lips to the side and gave Natasha a pleading look, "Promise me that you will be safe."

Natasha placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I promise, Stell."

Stella's face lit up, "Wonderful! Then I shall walk you to the door."

The duo made their way to the front door, making small talk as they went.

_Yeah,_ Natasha thought, _I could get used to this_.

* * *

Fury tidied a stack of files in his office and shifted them to the top right corner of his desk. He sighed and rubbed his good eye with the heel of his palm. This was not good; This was not good at all.

"Sir?" Maria peeked her head in. "You wanted to see me?"

He barely even looked up before grabbing the top file of the pile he had just organized and holding it out to her. She stepped into the office and came forward to accept the document. Her gaze was confused but he motioned for her to open the file with an impatient circular motion of his hand. Her eyes barely scanned through the first few lines before she looked up.

"Sir, this is _my_ file," she stated.

"I know that."

"What- Sir?"

"Keep reading."

She brought the file back up and noticed something different on her credentials. Lowering the file she gave him a wide eyed look.

"Sir, this says I have Coulson's job."

Fury nodded, "Because you do."

Maria licked her lips, thoroughly confused, "I'm not following."

Fury turned away from her and stared off at the S.H.I.E.L.D insignia painting on his wall, "I promoted you this morning. Effective immediately."

Maria blinked, surprised and suddenly overwhelmed, "Thank you, sir. But may I ask why?"

Fury half turned towards Hill and sighed again, his chest rising and falling with a weariness that had been plaguing him for years, "Because something terrible may happen and I won't be around to stop it."

He fully turned to her then, "Melinna Von Vostokoff rubs me the wrong way. She seems too familiar to me. I don't trust her. That's why I need you to fill Coulson's position. I need you to be my eyes from the inside while I'm out."

Maria didn't know what she was going to do without Fury. It had been hard enough without Coulson but not having the both of them around to back her up was going to be damn near impossible. Especially because Fury was right - Melinna Von Vostokoff couldn't be who she said she was. The Council not answering could not have been a coincidence either.

"You have big shoes to fill, Agent Hill," Fury said as he adjusted his trench coat. "Don't let me down."

"I won't, sir," Maria replied with certainty. "Where will you go?"

Fury handed her a slip of paper with a phone number on it, "Use this only, and I mean _only, _in an emergency. Do _not_ call unless you absolutely _have_ to. Do you understand?"

Maria nodded, a little taken aback by his sternness, "Yes, sir."

He patted her on the shoulder, "Good."

Maria twisted around as Fury rounded his desk and made for the door, "Sir? Your office. Will she...?"

Fury tossed Maria a set of keys, "It's yours now, Agent Hill."

Maria caught the keys and held them to her chest, her eyes slightly widened and her jaw set tight. Fury nodded at her once before surveying his office one last time, his gaze lingering on the painting before averting back to Maria.

"Good luck," he said before disappearing down the hall.

Maria looked around the office which now felt impossibly confining and overwhelming.

"You too," she whispered into the empty room.

* * *

Tony made his way over to the U-shaped couch and plopped down next to Stella. He handed her a bowl of popcorn and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of them. Her eyes were downcast and sad, he noticed as he looked over at her. He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side.

"Why so glum, Starburst?"

Stella looked up at her mentor, "I am worried for Natasha."

"You were worried for her when she went away last time too. And Clint. Remember when Clint left? You dragged him back in and made him hug you like twenty times? And don't get me started on when Thor left for Washington. What a nightmare."

"I had those," she mumbled to herself.

"What I mean, Supernova, is that every time they left you were worried about them but each time they came back perfectly fine. They're highly trained assassins," he reminded her. "_And _a god. They've got everything under control. Romanoff will be just fine."

Stella smiled slightly at his words. Tony glanced over the couch and then looked back down at the pink haired woman leaning against him.

"And speaking of control, here comes out favorite unstable scientist now. Hey, Brucey! Pop a squat. Where have you been all day? I looked everywhere. You almost made me cry. Not very nice of you."

Bruce rolled his eyes and sat down on the other side of Stella. He grabbed her hand automatically and both of them blushed like they always did. She laced their fingers and gave him a shy yet happy smile. He returned the gesture and squeezed her tiny hand in his. Tony rolled his eyes.

"You two make me want to vomit everywhere."

"I'm _not_ cleaning that up," Steve said as he walked into the room pulling a grossed out face.

"You'd do it and you know it," Tony retorted.

Steve sat down in a huff next to Bruce and said nothing. He was exhausted from cleaning the mansion all day. Honestly, you'd think Tony would have hired someone to do it but according to the genius he didn't like people 'snooping through his unmentionables - and I do mean my underwear drawer,' so a maid was out of the question. Steve was a little relieved about that anyway. He didn't really like the idea of servitude.

"I was doing some research," Bruce said to answer Tony's inquiry as to where he'd been all day.

"Research on what? I could have helped. I'm a genius. Do you not want to hang out with me? Stell, you might have to get me some chocolate. I'm upset now."

Stella launched herself off the couch and practically flew into the kitchen to search for chocolate for Tony. The genius blinked.

"I didn't actually mean...okay."

"It's for Stella's gift," Bruce said quietly.

Steve was confused and spoke up, "It's not even Halloween yet. I don't understand."

"Yeah, I don't follow either. I usually just give Pepper my credit card and tell her to buy something nice for herself."

Steve looked at him incredulously, "Why does she even stay with you?"

Tony shrugged, "My dashing good looks might have something to do with it."

Stella returned and dropped a myriad of chocolate bars and sweets onto Tony's lap.

"These are good, yes?"

Tony picked up a Baby Ruth bar, inspected it, and gave Stella an approving look, "You done good, kid."

Stella sat down happily and snuggled up to Bruce who blushed deeply and awkwardly put his arm around her. The smell of rain tickled his nose and he pressed his lips against her hair in a gentle kiss. The woman sighed in contentment beneath him, letting out a small giggle when he squeezed her shoulder.

Tony stuck out his tongue, "Bleh. I need a bucket."

Stella quickly stood up but Bruce pulled her down by her waist, "No, no. He was joking, Stell."

Stella looked over at Tony with a cocked eyebrow (something she _definitely_ adopted from Natasha) and shook her head, "How was a bucket a joke? I do not understand."

Tony sighed and patted her head, "Don't worry about it."

"Worry about what?" Clint asked as he walked in. "Why is your lap filled with candy bars?"

Tony held up a Nestle's Crunch Bar, "Want one?"

Clint was suspicious but took it anyway and seated himself cross legged on the floor in front of the couch.

"Do not start the moving pictures without- oh, good. I have not missed a thing! What relief!"

Thor bounded in and Tony automatically held up another candy bar. The god accepted the chocolate with a large smile and proceeded to inspect the label.

"A Milky Way?" He looked puzzled. "I have seen this with my own eyes and it is not made of chocolate _nor_ does it look like it would be beneficial to ingest."

"Thor," Tony pointed to a spot on the couch, "Sit. Eat. Watch moving pictures."

"Yes, of course. Splendid idea. My search for Jane has yielded no results still. I miss her more than I can bear."

Stella looked at the Asgardian, her eyes big and sad, "We will find your Jane, Thor. You should not be without the one you care so much for."

She looked at Bruce and smiled at him, squeezing his hand. He scratched his head and smiled back, giving a nervous chuckle before planting a soft kiss against her temple. He knew she understood the concept of romance and relationships (unfortunately Tony _refused_ to teach her about the birds and the bees and literally shooed Pepper away whenever he caught wind that she was attempting to inform his little star woman) but Bruce was always so awed at how much she cared for him. It amazed him that such a beautiful creation could love someone like him. He supposed he would never get used to how lucky he was.

"Thank you, Stella," Thor said with a warm smile. "Now, what moving picture are we to watch tonight?"

Clint picked a DVD case up off the coffee table and held it in the air.

"Shutter Island?" Bruce asked. "I don't think I've seen this one."

"That's why we're watching it, you hermit," Tony said. "Also, the one guy in it totally looks like you."

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows, "He does?"

When the movie began everyone in the room's eyebrows shot up to their hairlines. Except for Tony. He had seen it coming and was smirking uncontrollably.

"That _does_ look like you," Stella whispered.

Tony smiled to himself but, among the goodhearted cheer, he couldn't help but feel anxious for something to go wrong incredibly soon.

Happiness never seemed to last around him.

* * *

Fury approached a door that he had had to basically jump through hoops of fire to learn the location of. It had taken him years to track this place down but recently he had come across its whereabouts. He straightened his jacket and worked up the nerve to bust down the door. If he had to, that is.

He knocked three times.

There was no answer.

"Come on, you bastards," Fury called. "I know you're in there. I want to know why you didn't answer my call. Do you know how hard I've worked to be where I am? You think you can just kick me out after what I've seen?"

He stared angrily at the door but his shoulders tensed as the feeling that something wasn't quite right crept up on him.

Why had it been so easy to get into this place?

Why didn't they answer their call?

Fury lifted his boot and gave a swift, powerful kick to the hinge. The door flew open and he paused, staring in disbelief at the room before him.

The computers mounted in an arc around the room were sparking wildly. Chairs were overturned, the big conference table was coated with an unmistakable red liquid.

Fury felt his hand shake as he surveyed the bodies littered around the room, brutally murdered. He made a move to pull out his gun, but remembered that S.H.I.E.L.D had taken all of his weapons upon his leaving.

As Nick Fury looked upon the bodies of the dead Council members, he realized why it had been so easy to get into this place.

It was a trap.

"You…" was the last thing he said as realization flooded through him before he felt a taser press against his neck.

His world went black.

* * *

**:D hehe...yep. Things are going to get mysterious and crazy. Sorry for the wait. Finals week is this week and I've been slowly chipping away at this chapter for the past couple of weeks since the first one came out. I have very little time to even breathe. But! It is soon going to be over! Yay! Regular updates, here we come!**

**This story will have more character exploration than Can You Save Me? did, if you can imagine that. I'm really excited for it and for y'all to read on! Big plans, my friends. Big plans!**

**As always, your reviews are so wonderful and I will never be able to thank y'all enough for your endless and continuous support!**

**Stay tuned :D**

**Nikki xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Only Stella and the plot are mine.**

* * *

"What _is_ that?"

"I...have _no_ idea."

"Ewwwww."

"I think...I think it _used_ to be food."

"But...how?"

Stella and Clint slowly turned their heads towards each other as they surveyed the contents of the fridge.

"I..." Clint went to speak but the disgusting can of _something_ moved. It. Moved.

"_Eeeeek!_" Stella whipped her hand out and shot the jar with a blast of stellar energy.

Clint went wide eyed and slammed the fridge door shut as Stella drew her hands to her face and lifted a leg to her chest in an attempt to shield herself as much as possible. The archer pressed his back against the door and gripped his arms around the sides.

"Was that not good?" Stella asked, peering between her fingers.

Clint panted slightly, "I think...we should use the other fridge."

Stella slowly pulled her hands down and planted her foot on the ground, "Good idea."

Acting as natural as possible they both shuffled over to the second refrigerator. Stella hopped up on the countertop and watched as Clint pulled different sandwich making items out of the fridge. He placed them all next to Stella and she inspected each one, noting how many things he was spreading out in front of her.

"Mar-mee-te?" She questioned, incorrectly sounding out the word printed on the label.

"_Eck_," Clint stuck out his tongue as he dug around for the different lunch meats. "I hate it, but Thor basically eats it by the jar. It's actually pronounced _marmite_," he said correctly for her.

Stella unscrewed the lid and held the jar to her nose, taking a strong whiff. She pulled a horrified face and drew her entire body away, recapping the marmite and sliding it as far away from her on the counter as possible.

"Ew."

Clint laughed and threw a package of salami up onto the pile. Stella watched him idly, swinging her legs around in circular motions and humming something she had heard Tony blaring in his lab earlier. She had stayed with him for most of the day, but today was Clint and Stella's turn to make everyone lunch. Steve had instituted a new system of chores since he was tired of always cleaning up and making the food _and_ because Tony refused to hire a maid. But, again, Steve didn't mind that. He did, however, mind constantly having to pick up after _everyone_.

"_Thor," Steve had said as calmly as possible (for this was the sixth time that week - and it was only Wednesday), "If you don't put your dishes in the sink when you're finished...you're going to have to eat on the floor."_

"_Are you demoting him to dog status?" Clint asked as he screwed a prototype for a new tip onto a spare arrow._

"_I apologize, Star Spangled Man," Thor looked down and Clint had cocked his head to the side. He _did_ look like a puppy._

_Steve walked away, grumbling about getting a board and making a chores list, when Tony walked in. The genius watched the man out of time leave, smirking to himself and jerking his thumb back at him._

"_Adorable when he's angry, isn't he?"_

"Clint?" Stella's voice brought him out of his memory.

The archer looked over to the pink haired woman, her legs dangling like a small child's would, eyes alight with curiosity. "Yeah, Stell?"

"Do you love Natasha?"

Clint dropped the jar of mayo he had been holding and fumbled with it before it was secure in his hands once more.

"Where did that question come from?" He tried to play it off.

Stella shrugged. "You look at her like the people in movies look at each other."

She had said it so simply that Clint had no idea how to respond. He didn't know how to tell her it was more complicated than that. The archer was afraid it would break her fairytale image of love and, with that, her heart. He couldn't uproot her pure idea of happy endings like that.

"Nat and I have been through a lot together," he explained. "We're really close friends."

Stella hopped off the counter, her teeth gently pressing down onto her bottom lip as her eyebrows furrowed sadly. How could he not know? How could he not _see_ his feelings? It was the same with Natasha, but Stella had been too afraid to confront the red headed assassin before she left for her assignment.

"I do believe," she said as she walked towards the hall, "that you are lying to me."

Clint bowed his head so minutely that any other person would surely not have noticed. But Stella's keen, silvery-grey eyes picked up on the movement and a smile broke out on her face. She paused in the archway separating the large kitchen from the entryway and tapped her knuckles against the wooden frame.

"I am here for when you would like to speak the truth." She went to leave and turned back, remembering something, "The truth can be good, you know."

Clint sighed and shook his head to himself as he watched the tiny woman walk off to get the rest of the Avengers for lunch. He gripped the edge of the counter with both hands and pressed his weight against his arms. Stella was always trying to help - she was always trying to make people happy. Clint wanted to be happy, too, he really did. It was just hard - especially for him.

Everything had been different after Budapest.

* * *

_Clint was practically doing backflips down the hallways of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters as he made his way to the mess hall. In fact, he _did_ do one celebratory cartwheel, nearly knocking over a lowly intern, but who cared? He, Clint Barton, had finally gotten a real mission to lead._

_He was going to Budapest._

_While he was happy to have a mission finally, he was even more ecstatic to be going on it with the infamous Black Widow. He'd known Natasha for the three years prior that he'd been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. They'd conversed casually and had passed amicable greetings in the hallways, but they had never worked together. It was an honor for Clint. He couldn't believe his luck._

"_Hey, Bobbi," Clint greeted genially as he slid into the spot next to her at one of the mess tables._

_Barbara Morse looked up at him through her long lashes and smiled. "Hey, Clint. Why are you so chipper this morning?"_

_Clint drew his head back in mock offense, "Are you saying I'm not _always_ chipper?"_

_Bobbi gave him a dead look._

"_Alright, alright," he laughed despite her sour attitude, "you're no fun. But I have great news."_

"_Is that why you're practically shitting rainbows?"_

"_Not practically," he shook his head. "You're just such a downer that you can't see the mass amounts of glitter shooting out of my ass."_

_Bobbi cracked up and Clint was glad to see her smile. He loved it, he loved it a lot._

"_Now that you're less of a sour-puss, can I tell you my great news?"_

_Bobbi was still laughing and motioned for him to continue, "Okay, okay. Tell us your rainbow-shit-inducing news."_

_Clint leaned forward, his nose inches aways from hers, "I got a mission today."_

_Bobbi pitched forward and bonked her nose against his. They both drew back, Clint rubbing his face and Bobbi laughing jovially, "What?! Clint! That's great! To where? With who?"_

_Clint grinned ear to ear. "Budapest," he still spoke in a whisper, "with the Black Widow."_

_Bobbi sat back in her chair, her golden blonde hair spilling over her shoulders and tumbling down her back. Clint watched it fall, the beautiful locks distracting him from the frown that graced Bobbi's pretty face. She sure had been frowning a lot more ever since her last mission. Clint suspected it had something to do with the fact that she was only sent as clean-up crew and hadn't been given a real mission yet._

"_Clint," she said in a warning tone, "you had better be careful."_

_The expert archer cocked his head at her tone and slid his eyes up to her face. Her normally stoic features were contorted in concern and, oddly enough, she looked a little pale._

"_Bobbi? You feeling alright?"_

_The golden haired beauty nodded quickly, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just want you to be safe is all."_

_Clint nodded slowly, "Uh-huh. Are you sure you're-"_

"_I'm fine! Clint!" She said in clipped tones. "Jesus, calm your tits."_

_Clint drew his head back at her harshness, "Geez, no need to bite my head off."_

_Bobbi sighed, "I'm just...I gotta go."_

"_Well, hey, wait!" Clint said as he stood up from the table. "Aren't you forgetting something?"_

_The smile he loved crept onto her face and he grinned right back as she rolled her eyes._

"_I hate you, Clint Barton."_

_She reached up and pressed her soft lips against his._

_He smiled into the kiss and mumbled, "You love me, Barbara Morse."_

"_God help me, I do," she said, the harshness gone from her voice and replaced by a certain sadness that Clint was too oblivious to detect. "I do."_

_He watched her go, a grin breaking out onto his face. He really did love her. _

_He loved Bobbi Morse - Mockingbird._

_The quinjet was thrumming therapeutically underneath Clint's feet. He could feel the straps of the seat belts lightly pressing against his chest, criss-crossed, as he rested his head back against the cool metal wall, eyes closed. The Black Widow studied him from her strapped in position across the walkway. She sat poised and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Always ready for action, she told herself. Never let your guard down._

_The archer was well aware of Natasha's calculating eyes boring holes into his body. He wondered what she was assessing. She had surely read his S.H.I.E.L.D resume - she had to have known he was the best choice for the mission. Hell, he was the best damn archer to ever step foot _in_ the organization. He didn't know that she was analyzing him in a completely different light._

_Natasha saw how he was in the compound. He was light-hearted, a jokester. There was seldom a frown on his face, even on his mission detail video reports. Watching him in action, firing off arrow after arrow, occasionally launching at a close range enemy with his knives that he kept secured onto his utility belt, she saw his weakness._

_He was too happy._

_In Natasha's humble opinion, happiness was not a quality that a member of such an elite organization, such a _dangerous_ organization, should have. Having friends was a close second. They would only slow you down, she believed. Attachments were never good._

_And then there was Bobbi Morse._

_She had only met the lower agent a handful of times but things never seemed to line up with her. It was true that Agent Morse was extremely stoic when need be, much more so than Agent Barton had ever displayed, but the Black Widow had a gut feeling that she wasn't all she appeared to be. There had to be more to her but Clint Barton was not one to go looking. Natasha knew why. He was in love with her, that much was painfully clear. And the seasoned agent had a feeling that the master archer was not too keen on having more heartbreak in his life. At least that was what she gathered from his personal file, which she may or may not have accessed..._

"_So," Clint's voice broke her out of her thoughts, "Cross Technological Enterprises, huh? Pretty shifty stuff."_

_Natasha nodded. "After Darren Cross was suspiciously killed, his brother William took over the company and S.H.I.E.L.D has been keeping tabs on it ever since."_

"_The briefs said he was experimenting with brainwashing technology."_

_She nodded again. "He has an inside connection with someone in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, which is based in Budapest. If he gets patented..."_

_Clint whistled, "Big problem."_

_Natasha set her head back against the wall, "Huge."_

_The ride was silent for the rest of the way._

_Hawkeye was surprisingly light on his feet, the Black Widow had soon learned. They were quickly and quietly slinking around the corners of the rented warehouse under Cross Tech's name. William Cross had stored all of his equipment here, no doubt to lead the patent officers into a brainwashing trap, ensuring he would obtain the patent he desired. Clint had silently shot three of the five big machines with short circuiting arrows. Natasha had marveled at how they too were quite undetectable._

_Then an awfully evil laugh sounded from above them and a man in a red and white jumpsuit, sporting a cybernetic eye and ear, came into view. He clapped slowly like all villains seemed to do and gave the duo an eerie smile, the entire warehouse coming to life around them with lights and whirring machine noises._

"_Did you both think it would all be that easy?"_

"_William Cross?" Clint mumbled to himself skeptically._

_Natasha gave him a sideways glance and whispered, "Crossfire."_

"_Very good, Black Widow." He tapped his ear implant, "You can't keep secrets from me."_

"_Oh, there are no secrets," Clint said, knocking back an arrow. "We're here to stop you."_

_Natasha could have rolled her eyes._

"_Is that so?" The amped up villain asked. "I do believe you have missed some key players in my little operation, unfortunately. I doubt you'll be doing any stopping tonight."_

_Clint looked confused but Natasha merely readied her guns, checking that the safeties were off and the magazines felt fully loaded. She had no time to check, but she knew she had reloaded before entering the quinjet and she also knew her guns. The weight felt deadly. She could easily fire off at whatever this goon threw at them. Clint kept his arrow notched tightly in his bow, ready for anything._

_Crossfire disappeared but in his place stood three imposing characters. Natasha recognized them immediately - three freelance lackeys with amazing abilities. Bombshell, Oddball, and Silencer were a trio to be reckoned with and they easily outnumbered the two assassins in superpowers. Two expert jugglers, one of which was an explosives junkie, and a woman with amazing strength and the ability to cancel out sound waves would have been ample enough threats to any other duo, but not this one. Hawkeye had been into theatrics at the circus before being employed by S.H.I.E.L.D and knew of pyrotechnics and camp-tricks and Natasha was well versed in hand-to-hand combat._

_The forces clashed with amazing strength and stamina. Bombshell threw out explosives left and right, destroying a large segment of one of the walls of the warehouse, but Hawkeye dodged her advances. He fired off arrow after arrow, each launch being met with equally matched firepower from the rogue assassin, but he would not back down so easily. One of her hand grenades tagged the ground he was standing on and sent him flying out of the hole in the wall and out onto the deserted street._

_The Black Widow kicked and punched at Silencer, waiting for a moment when she could fire off her gun. Because of Silencer's ability to nullify sound waves, the S.H.I.E.L.D assassin had to fight the african hire in total silence. It was both comforting to be in her own little world but also nerve-wracking because she could not hear a thing going on around her. At this point she had no clue where Hawkeye was or where the third assassin, Oddball, had escaped to._

_Clint was not exactly happy to be now facing off with two villains. Oddball and Bombshell took turns trying to distract him with juggling pyrotechnics and circus tricks, but the archer was growing bored of their continued ploys to catch him off guard. They obviously didn't know that he was all too familiar with these tactics. He launched more arrows at them, striking Oddball and rendering him incapacitated. After landing an arrow in Bombshell's shoulder, Natasha came crashing through the hole in the wall, taking cover behind a pile of fallen cement blocks and firing off rounds from her guns. _

_Silencer and Bombshell soon fell, knocked out cold. The Black Widow tied a blindfold around Silencer and shoved her up against the two other assassins, assuring that they'd all be in a confused world of silence when they awoke. Hopefully by then the S.H.I.E.L.D agents would be on their way home, their mission completed._

"_Very good," Crossfire's voice sounded from behind them. "A bit of a distraction, really, from the main event."_

_Both assassins turned, sweaty and panting, to look upon the mastermind behind this entire mission. Clint dropped his bow, his throat going dry, his heartstrings tightening to an unbearable degree. Natasha felt a flutter of sympathy pass through her briefly before it was gone and all that stood in its place was a sense of pure betrayal._

_A figure stood next to Crossfire, dressed in a familiar uniform, unmistakable sadness stretched across her pretty face. Natasha didn't speak. She knew Clint had to do the talking for this one._

"_Bobbi," he said with pain laced in his deep voice._

_Bobbi's bottom lip quivered, "Hello, Clint."_

"_You..." Clint couldn't look past her face, his eyes were fixated on the features he had come to know and love. "You're working for Crossfire?"_

_Crossfire smirked and put an arm around Bobbi. "Seems like she didn't fully fill you in on her latest mission."_

_Clint looked confused. "That cleanup mission you went on? The one about A.I.M?"_

"_Advanced Idea Mechanics," Bobbi nodded solemnly. "I was only supposed to collect data. S.H.I.E.L.D said the base had been cleared out. I...they only needed me because I understood the science."_

_Bobbi had been a brilliant scientist before being recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. It made sense that they would need her to go along with the cleanup crew to gather any evidence that had been encrypted in the computers or missed by the original wet-work team._

"_But it hadn't been cleared out, had it?" Natasha finally spoke._

_Bobbi shook her head and Crossfire smiled, speaking, "I was still there, hiding, waiting. A.I.M had wanted to invest in my ideas before _you_ all showed up," he spat, referring to S.H.I.E.L.D. "I had no choice but to use little miss Mockingbird as my first test subject."_

"_Bobbi?!" Clint asked, surprised. _

"_I had no choice," she cocked her head to the side, a glaze passing over her eyes. "He said he would destroy the compound, destroy _you_."_

"_The experiment was only half effective," Crossfire patted her head. "Sometimes she resists so I let her go back to your little agency, pretending to be normal Barbara Morse. But, when I needed her, I knew she would come."_

"_She's being controlled, Clint," Natasha said. "We don't know how to reverse the effects. She needs to be taken out as well."_

_Clint looked appalled, "No!"_

"_Suit yourself," Crossfire laughed. "Bobbi, be a dear and attack them."_

_Mockingbird looked reluctant but sprang into action anyway. She advanced towards the duo and Natasha knew that things would go south fast if she didn't think of something quickly._

"_Hawkeye," she ordered, "you take Crossfire, I'll take Mockingbird."_

"_No, I'll take Bobbi," he argued, his girlfriend nearly standing before them._

"_That's exactly why you can't take her," Natasha squatted into a readied position. "You won't be able to fight her. You called her Bobbi."_

"_Because that's who she is! Let me talk to her!" Bobbi then landed a blow to Clint's face and the Black Widow had no choice but to go after Crossfire, who was escaping._

_Clint and Bobbi exchanged blows back and forth, the archer not wanting to do damage but the brainwashed woman fighting hard and fast. Clint wasn't sure how much longer he could go without hurting her. She was packing a serious punch._

"_Bobbi, listen to me! It's me! It's Clint!" He pleaded, hoping to get through to her._

"_I know who you are, Clint," her voice was soft. "But I can't turn back now. The program is inside of me. He's controlling me and there's no antidote."_

"_Antidote? Can't I just knock you hard on the head?" He dodged her fist too slowly and she slammed him in the solar plexus. He felt the air rush out of him and he doubled over, eyeing his bow laying off to the side. He had one arrow left and he desperately wanted to not have to use it._

_Bobbi laughed sadly, stepping back and circling around him. "It's not that simple."_

_Clint felt his eyes begin to water, "It should be."_

_He watched her hands shake as she tried to stop herself from landing another blow. The archer refused to engage in combat with her any further. Clint couldn't bear to hurt her._

"_Love is never easy," she whispered before letting her control go and throwing punch after punch at him._

_Natasha had caught up to Crossfire. It all went in a whirl for her, it usually did. She went through the motions, the pumping of her legs, the spring in her knees when she shot her body at him. Her hands ripped across his body, undoubtably leaving bruises. Then she landed her trademarked move. The air slowly left his lungs as she squeezed her thighs tighter around his windpipe. The fire for domination left his eyes as he gasped for breaths, slowly sinking to the floor before she flinched her body and watched the life leave him completely._

_The infamous Black Widow stood over her prey like her namesake would have done, watching it, circling it. She new she was a killer, she knew she was an assassin. The only peace she found in all of this was that she was on the right side now, well, at least she believed that she was. That was all that mattered - that she believed she was doing the right thing._

_She heard Clint shout out and let her feet carry her away from the fallen body of Crossfire and over to where her teammate was laying on the ground, Mockingbird standing over him and ready to take him out. Natasha knew what she had to do. She knew what the right thing was. _

_But Clint would never forgive her._

_Clint watched Bobbi loom over him, ready to kill him. She was going to end him right then and there and she wasn't even trying to stop herself._

"_There's no use in fighting it, Clint," she said sadly. "I'm a monster."_

"_You're no monster, Bobbi," he tried to plead with her one last time. "I love you."_

_A single tear trailed down her cheek and she shook her head, raising her S.H.I.E.L.D issued gun to deliver the final shot._

"_I lo-" _Bang!

_Clint watched in horror as Bobbi's body fell forward, a kill shot bleeding profusely from her chest, the wound in her back seeping through. He caught her with shaking hands, unable to move. Her eyes were wide open, staring up at him, lifeless. Clint felt his hands shaking as they held her close to his body. His lip quivered as he looked up and stared at his teammate, standing before him with her gun at her side, finger on the trigger._

_Natasha and Clint didn't speak to each other for a long time after that. They stayed in the warehouse, Clint cradling the dead body of his girlfriend and Natasha watching her partner silently, knowing she had saved his life but also ruined it at the same time. And while she knew that he loved Bobbi, Natasha couldn't help but feel betrayed by Clint as well. He had known the risks of a relationship, of a friendship, and yet he still did it all. He was still happy, outgoing, romantic._

_Clint Barton had been nothing like Natasha Romanoff._

_As Clint sat on the ground, gently caressing his love's golden hair, he knew that Natasha counted this as a win. The mission was completed and the targets were taken out. The machines would soon all be dismantled and the threat of Crossfire's brainwashing technology would be gone. Natasha believed she had saved his life. Bobbi was going to kill him so the Black Widow did what she did best._

_She killed._

_Clint locked eyes with Natasha and saw no remorse inside of them. He saw the cold shell of a human that the assassin was, that he would soon become. The happiness was gone from her eyes and he could feel his own slowly draining from his body. He had been a fool to think he could have a normal life in S.H.I.E.L.D. He had been a fool to think he could be happy._

_After Budapest, Clint Barton became exactly like Natasha Romanoff._

* * *

Clint had his hand on the fridge door still, sadly staring at the appliance like it could help cure his problems. Stella came bounding in, her pink hair a mass of curls that bounced with every step she took. She was the definition of pure, happy energy. She was exactly how Clint used to be before Budapest.

"Hey, Stell?" The archer croaked.

Stella stopped her cheerful humming and stood still, a beaming smile on her face. "Yes?"

Clint was about to tell her the reason why he couldn't answer her question from earlier and why he didn't believe in love or happy endings of fairytales, but her smile stopped him. The memory of Bobbi and Budapest had made him want to ruin her perfect little world just so he wouldn't have to suffer alone, but there she stood, patiently waiting for him to say something, all the trust in the world on her face. A little quirk of a smile found its way onto Clint's face.

Bruce came down at that moment, a shy smile across his lips, the one that always seemed to be there and the one that Stella loved to see each and every day. He came up behind her and pecked her on the cheek, a blush breaking out over his cheeks as Stella giggled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The scientist bit his lip and took a tray of food over to the dining room table. Stella stared giddily after him, clasping her hands in front of her and swinging them gently.

She looked back at Clint expectantly, "What were you going to say?"

Clint found himself grinning from ear to ear, the sadness still beating against his chest but less than before. He was healing.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

Stella cocked her head to the side, "For what?"

Clint shrugged as Thor and Tony walked in. "For reminding me that happiness still exists."

The pink haired woman walked up to him and gave him a hug, something they were all quite accustomed to. She pulled away just as Tony was approaching the first refrigerator. Horror struck both the star woman and the archer's faces.

"Did you guys remember to get the _good_ pickles out? Because last time you put out the disgusting bread and butter ones and forgot about the -" He opened the fridge just as Stella and Clint shouted out.

"Tony, don't!"

_Sploosh!_

"Uh oh."

"Eeeewwww."

"Supernova...we're gonna need a towel."

"GUYS?!"

"Steve, babe, calm down."

* * *

**Ahhhh, I am SO sorry for the wait! This is the longest chapter out of both stories so far, though! I was in a bit of a rut as to where to go but I actually really liked this chapter and I now know how I'm getting to where I want to take the story! (I edited this like five times but if any of y'all find any typos feel free to PM me about them!)**

**For those of you who may not know, Mockingbird, Crossfire, Oddball, Silencer, and Bombshell are all characters from Marvel. As are the corporations mentioned. I wanted to warp Budapest around to fit what I wanted to do for Clint and Natasha's relationship. Hope you liked it :D**

**The story will pick up soon in case anyone hates it so far! Eeep! Also, holiday chapters in the near future! Halloween: Avengers style! Should be fun, right? Maybe...hehehe.**

**Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and for everyone reminding me to get my butt into gear and update! I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday season! Here's to a great new year with more frequent updates!**

**Stay tuned!**

**Nikki xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Stella and the plot are mine.**

* * *

"This is going to be most difficult."

Stella stared at the mess of fabric in front of her, eyes wide and apprehensive. Pepper's strawberry blonde hair popped up over the mound of color and she gave the pink haired woman an encouraging smile.

"Just pick the color you like the most so we can go home."

Stella bit her lip. "Explain to me this Halloween once more?"

Pepper set the different dresses down on the bench in the fitting room the two women occupied.

"Basically everybody dresses up in costume and eats candy."

"That is what confuses me. I do not understand why this is a holiday." Stella picked up a dress made of bright orange fabric using her thumb and forefinger.

Pepper shrugged, "It's a long story."

Stella nodded, not really satisfied with the answer but not willing to press the issue further when she had color decisions to make. "What color are you wearing?"

"Me?" Pepper laughed, "Dark blue."

"But Tony said bright colors..."

"And Tony can kiss my ass," Pepper said with a sarcastic smile, instantly anticipating Stella's reaction.

"Pepper! He should not kiss that!"

"Pick a dress, Stell."

* * *

Tony and Bruce walked down the halls of the _third_ Stark Tower together. S.H.I.E.L.D. decided they still wanted a base of operations so Stark Tower 3.0 was being constructed. Tony had been, well, _vocal_ about the entire process. The shyer of the two kept quiet for the most part as he allowed his companion to nit-pick at all the things they passed.

"This wall is terrible."

"It's plain..." Bruce pointed out.

"That's _why_ it's terrible! The old tower had better walls."

"Those were also plain..."

"Yeah, but they had _pizazz_."

"Pizazz?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "Bruce, do you know nothing about style? Geez, if this tower doesn't turn out to be like the other two..."

Bruce looked down at his favorite tweed suit and tugged at the lapels. He shrugged his shoulders. He supposed he didn't, but he preferred comfort over style. After all, he was used to being prepared to turn into a huge green beast at any moment. And Stella seemed to like his clothes. That was what really mattered.

After a moment of silence Bruce asked, "Do I really have to go to-"

"Yes. You will be there," Tony ran his hands along another wall with a slight frown on his face, "and you will _like_ it."

"I probably won't," Bruce mumbled under his breath.

"Chin up, Charlie," Tony clapped him on the back. "It'll be a blast. What could go wrong?"

Bruce gave him a sideways glance but said nothing.

So much could go wrong.

* * *

"Do people still go trick or treating?"

Clint put down the arrow he had been fiddling with and looked across the weight room. Steve was staring pensively in the mirror, a set of dumbbells laying forgotten by his feet.

"Yeah, it's still pretty popular, I guess. If you're into that kind of thing."

Steve frowned, "Do you think kids will dress up like us?"

Clint raised his eyebrows as if the thought had never occurred to him before, "No idea, but I hope so! How awesome would that be?"

Steve's forehead crease deepened, "Are we the best role models for kids?"

Clint nodded enthusiastically, "Are you kidding? Superheroes are all the rage. Everyone wants to be one."

"Superheroes," Steve said softly. "We destroyed half of Manhattan and then almost got Staten Island dissolved."

"Steve," Clint reasoned, "those things almost happened because of the _bad guys_. We're the good guys. We _saved_ the world. _Twice_! And if memory serves you were out there helping clean up the mess every day back when the Chitauri invaded."

Steve shrugged, "I guess so. I just don't feel so..._super_."

"Well," Clint picked up the arrow again, "you are. Might as well get used to it. There's a lot of people out there who look up to you."

Steve sighed again.

"Great." _More people to let down_.

* * *

"Tony?"

"Yes?"

"What is this?"

"A computer."

"What is it _doing_?"

"Running a scan."

"A scan on what?"

"A scan on _things_."

"What kind of things?"

Tony placed both hands on the worktable in front of him and sighed. He tilted his head so that he could peer at Stella from over his shoulder. She sat atop another counter, feet dangling innocently, the computer next to her blipping and beeping.

"Are you bored?" He asked plainly. "Because you're acting bored."

She shrugged, "I am curious."

"I can see that."

"Tony," she held a finger up, poised and ready to ask another question.

"Mr. Stark," a voice cut in, harsh and unfamiliar.

Tony and Stella both turned to see Melinna Von Vostokoff making her way into the lab. Her heels clicked annoyingly off the floors. It wasn't a pleasant sound like Pepper's heels, Stella thought. These made angry stabbing noises. Stella didn't like them much.

"That's me," Tony said proudly, stepping a little in front of Stella out of habit. Melinna noticed and tilted her head slightly, her tight face breaking into a smirk but a look of disgust pooling in her eyes

"You must be _Stella_."

Stella shrunk her shoulders down at the tone in Melinna's voice. She had practically spat her name out. The pink haired woman stopped dangling her feet around and stilled them. She looked up at the new woman with a guilty look, not sure what she had to be sorry for but feeling that she had done something wrong anyway.

Tony didn't like the way she spoke at Stella. "I thought you came here to talk to me. Who are you, anyway?"

"Melinna Von Vostokoff," she answered briskly. "_Director_ of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Tony's eyebrows raised a little, "Where's Fury?"

"Fury is gone?" Stella asked with wide eyes, alarmed. No! Not Fury. Stella had just gotten him to like her. He believed in her now. She didn't want him to be gone.

"Fury is no longer with the agency, Mr. Stark. I'm in charge now. I thought I would introduce myself. Show you your new _boss_."

Tony went to reply but she cut him off, staring right at Stella.

"I'm not sure why you keep this thing around, Mr. Stark. She's a danger to everyone here." She took her eyes off the trembling little Stella and looked back at Tony. "See to it that she's gone."

"Excuse me, Miss Von Whatever-"

"_Immediately_."

Without another word Melinna clicked her way out of the room. Stella pursed her lips and looked shyly over at Tony. The billionaire noticed that he hadn't seen her this sad in months.

"She does not like me and I do not understand why. I have never even met her."

Tony approached her and wrapped her in a hug. She hopped off the table and squeezed back tightly. He planted a kiss on the top of her head and stared out at the door Melinna had just left through. He didn't like people bullying Stella, the sweetest person he knew. He also didn't like not having the last word. Melinna had cut him off in his _own_ lab. He made a note to restrict access to the tower while it was being constructed.

"You don't want people like that liking you anyway, Stell. She's bad news." He rubbed her back affectionately.

Stella looked up, "How can you tell?"

Tony shook his head.

"No idea, but I have a bad feeling about her."

He went over to his computer and started typing away at security firewalls. Breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D servers was second nature to him now.

"Plus, she thinks I have a _boss_. She's clearly not right in the head."

* * *

Melinna made her way back to her office, bypassing Maria and nearly slamming the agent on the shoulder. She didn't take much notice. Maria Hill was no threat to her. When she was finally behind closed doors, she let a large smile wipe across her face.

"Things are going well," she said to herself. A snarl broke out over his lips as she remembered Stella and her light pink hair, big grey eyes, and innocent little charm.

"Too happy," her voice was harsh, "still too happy."

A bright blue light glowed around the room for a fraction of a moment. After, a new set of eyes narrowed as a new pair of lips grinned.

"Not for long."

* * *

Steve was ready to go to bed. The music was too loud, the people were too obnoxious, his old army uniform smelled like moth balls, and the women! The women were dressed too..._little_.

"I thought the objective of Halloween was to dress _up_, not to barely dress at all."

Tony clapped the captain on the back, a glass of whiskey in the other hand.

"Cheer up, old man. Halloween has just gotten _better_ over the years."

"I'm not so sure..." Steve gave Tony a sideways glance. "Why are you wearing a tux?"

Tony spread his arms wide open and Steve watched as an annoyed Pepper, dressed to the nines in a midnight blue evening dress, stomped against his one side.

"I hate you."

"That is a lie if i've ever heard one, babe. Where's Stella? Where's my other arm girl?"

"Right here! I am right here!"

Stella practically flew to Tony's side, a huge smile stretched across her pretty face. Her curls had been tamed and fell in soft ringlets down to her waist. Steve marveled that they could be restrained at all. Usually they spilled wildly about and gave her her signature adorable, other-worldly look. He noticed that the new hairstyle went well with her bright yellow dress, frilling about and layering down her legs. It was all so very Stella.

"Stella, you look great," Steve complimented like a gentleman. "And so do you, Ms. Potts."

"Pepper, Steve," the strawberry blonde said with a smile towards the soldier. "You know it's Pepper."

"Yes, ma'am." He turned to Tony, "I still don't know who you're supposed to be."

"Neither do I!" Stella piped up.

Tony held his arms around his ladies proudly, giving Steve that cocky grin that the soldier had become so accustomed to.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm Bruce Wayne!"

Steve watched Tony, dressed as Bruce Wayne (whom Steve had enough pop culture knowledge to know was Batman, thank you very much), guide Stella and Pepper away and through the throngs of people. He counted how many guests were dressed as Captain America. There were five. It was all still very surreal that he was a popular figure - a hero even. He just did what he thought was right. He never expected anything from it. Steve just wanted to help.

A sinking feeling pooled in his gut. He just felt _wrong_. It could have been that the last party they had thrown had been for Stella's birthday and that turned out to be another fight to save New York City. Steve certainly didn't want _that_ to happen again. Since this party was in a rented out ballroom, at least he wouldn't have to worry about an entire tower being destroyed. Although he'd prefer no destruction at all.

But there was still another nagging feeling telling him that things were about to get really complicated. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he couldn't shake it. Looking over at Clint, dressed appropriately as Robin Hood, and Thor, dressed as himself because for the life of them the Avengers couldn't get Thor to grasp the concept of Halloween, Steve noticed they didn't seem worried at all. In fact, they were chatting amicably with a group of party-goers. Thor was even signing an autograph for a young man and his, Steve was guessing, girlfriend.

Steve then looked to find Bruce. He found the scientist with his eyes watching Stella, a warm look to them. A little smile had quirked its way onto one side of his lips as he stared fondly over at his...girlfriend? Steve was confused with their status. Then again, Steve was confused with a lot of things.

Bruce had been basically threatened by Tony to go to the Halloween party and so Bruce, begrudgingly, had dressed up. He wasn't particularly _happy_ that Tony had all but forced him to dress up at Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, but Stella had seemed to like his outfit, and that was really all that mattered to Bruce anyway.

"_You look very charming," Stella had said shyly as they stole a moment away together before the party began._

"_Thank you," Bruce mumbled, still not used to anything remotely woman related. "You look beautiful," he told her sincerely._

_Stella's face lit up into the smile that Bruce loved, wide and genuine. She let out a giggle and reached up on her tip toes, falling into him because of the high heels Pepper had dressed her in. Bruce caught her clumsily by the waist and she stared up at him with the same happiness as always. With another giggle, she wriggled herself up and pressed her lips to his, still smiling. Bruce had found out that Stella quite liked kisses...and he was perfectly okay with that._

"_You are wonderful, Bruce," Stella whispered as she pulled away._

_Bruce tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and cupped her face gently, ignoring Tony fake gagging in the background. He stared into her eyes and realized that he had never once felt like a time bomb when he looked at her. He never once felt like a monster. She made him feel more complete than he had felt in _ages_. There was no doubt that Stella was the one for him and in that moment, as with every moment he spent with Stella, he felt like the luckiest man in the world._

"_You are _more_ wonderful, Stell."_

Steve smiled as he watched Bruce lazily staring over at the petite pink haired woman in the bright yellow dress. Stella broke free from Tony, excusing herself like Steve had taught her to do (with a curtsey), and made her way over to Bruce. As she smiled and walked towards the shy scientist, a slender finger tapped Bruce on the back. Steve saw her before Bruce could turn around.

"Oh no," Steve whispered to himself as he started moving towards the couple. Stella's beaming smile made Steve's heart nearly break. He knew she had no idea what was about to happen and that killed him. How did this even happen? _Why_ was this even happening? He could only hope that Bruce's feelings for Stella were strong enough to overcome this. The soldier didn't know what he'd do if Stella's heart was broken. Everything had been going so well...

He reached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Bruce was in the process of turning around. Stella stared up at Steve, an innocent and loving smile on her face. Her eyes beamed at the sight of her friend and she threw an arm around his waist, hugging him tight. Steve held onto her, comforting her about something she didn't know she needed to be comforted for yet.

Bruce turned around, the image of Stella coming towards him with that beautiful smile was still in his mind. He recognized the person who had tapped him straight away and he felt the color drain from his face and the smile slip from his lips. His shoulders went slack and his heart nearly stopped beating. He could feel the big guy inside of him whimper in agony. The Hulk recognized that face too. He recognized it all too well and it hurt him, it hurt him badly.

Suddenly, Bruce wasn't thinking about Stella anymore. Her silvery-grey eyes were replaced with stormy blue ones. Her light pink hair disappeared and became a rich, chocolate brown. Bruce felt memories threatening to swallow him. He couldn't move, couldn't _breathe_.

His voice came out in barely a whisper, surprised and shocked. His heart thudded against his chest.

"Betty."

* * *

***waves apologetically and hugs everyone***

**I am SO sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have thought about this story constantly! I promise! I was in a terrible writer's block where I knew where I wanted the story to go but I couldn't figure out how to get it there in a way I liked. I'm back now! I have found my groove and I am ready to write! I hope I still have readers out there...I'm the worst and I'm so sorry!**

**School has been frustratingly hard. I'm a Classics major so I basically just read old texts ALL day. It's a never ending cycle of ancient stuff. Really cool...but really time consuming. I won't abandon y'all again. I need Stella and Bruce in my life to function. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter even though the ending was...yep, sorry, guys... :]**

**What will happen? What is Bruce going to do? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Again, thank you to everyone who has added this story or me to their favorites and alerts lists even in my time of inexcusable absence and to all who have reviewed. I love each and every one of you to bits and pieces. You're all simply amazing and the best! Mwah!**

**xx Nikki**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Stella and the plot are mine!**

* * *

"_Well, I don't every time get what I want_," _Bruce said, acutely aware of Natasha Romanoff staring him down. She was afraid of him, of the other guy. He knew that. Bruce had become accustomed to detecting fear in people. That was why he removed himself as far away as possible. Calcutta had seemed like the best place until now._

_The little bassinet swung on rickety wooden poles as he pushed it. He looked at it softly, sadness in his eyes for a fraction of a moment. Everything he had wanted would never happen. He never got what he wanted._

_His mind flashed to Betty and what they could have been. They could have been married, had kids, a nice house, love. They could have had everything. Bruce's heart hurt just thinking about it. The little crib stopped swinging as he took his hand off of it. Natasha continued talking and he sighed._

_He never got what he wanted._

* * *

"Betty," Bruce repeated a little louder, not even sure if he had said anything the first time he had breathed her name.

"Hi, Bruce," her voice was as soft and warm as always, her smile delicate and inviting.

"W-what, uh, what are you doing here?"

She pulled out a rectangular piece of card stock and Bruce found himself transfixed on her movements. He hadn't seen her in so long, _too_ long. It seemed as if he were in a trance.

"I thought _you_ invited me."

Betty handed him the invitation and their hands touched briefly. Bruce looked down at his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. Nothing. He had felt nothing. Chalking it all up to nerves, he dismissed the lack of feeling and inspected the invitation. It was the same one Tony had enlisted Pepper to make for their Halloween party.

"No, I, I didn't send this, Betty," her name felt so foreign on his tongue. He hadn't spoken of her in a long while. He hadn't even thought of her until he had told Stella about-

"Stella!" Bruce whipped around, remembering the pink haired woman he adored so much. She was waiting patiently behind him, a bright smile still on her face. Steve stood next to her, faintly glaring at Bruce with a warning of '_don't you dare break her heart._' Bruce hadn't intended on it, he would never have dreamed of it, but something about Betty being there made it all so different.

Stella stepped up next to him, sliding out of Steve's grasp, and the scent of rain immediately hit Bruce. It calmed him, made him feel at ease. He breathed it in, hoping to lessen his nerves. Tentatively, he reached his index finger up and ran his knuckle down the side of her face. Warmth. Sparks. Peace. He felt everything he'd ever wanted when he touched Stella.

Her eyes lit up like they always did as he ran his finger down her cheek. She bit her lip and giggled, which caused Bruce to blush slightly, like he always did. Her eyes turned to Betty and she smiled wider.

"This is a friend of yours?" The prospect of meeting new friends excited Stella, so she stuck of her hand (because she had learned that was how one greets people from Clint) and gave her that innocent, bubbly smile, "Hello! I am Stella. It is wonderful to meet you!"

Betty shook her hand and Bruce felt a little sick watching the two of them interact. "Hi, I'm Betty Ross. I'm, uh, it's great to meet you too." Betty frowned a little at the sight of her pink hair.

Stella gave a little wave after letting go of Betty's hand. The pink haired woman was just so happy to make new friends that she hadn't realized what she had walked in on. Steve stood close by in case she needed him.

Bruce felt warmth crawl up his arm and the familiar feeling of tiny, slender fingers lacing through his. He looked over at Stella who was innocently swinging their clasped hands between them and smiling up at him. At that moment he felt so entirely conflicted. Everything he wanted and everything he used to want were staring him down. He couldn't think straight and he had a suspicious feeling that it had something to do with Betty...but he couldn't be sure. He never could be sure anymore.

Bruce noticed Betty looking at their joined hands and, for some reason, he immediately let go of Stella, going as far as to take a step to his left. Stella looked confused and he couldn't bear to look at her. He knew she was standing there, looking absolutely beautiful in her bright yellow dress, not having a clue as to what was going on. The Hulk whimpered out again down inside of him, this time in protest at what Bruce had done, not in agony of seeing Betty again.

"Bruce, I think we should talk," Betty said softly, glancing between him and Stella.

"Y-yeah, I, yeah." He stumbled around for the right words, not knowing what was right or wrong at all.

When he didn't move and instead kept standing there like a fish out of water, Betty clarified, "Alone?"

"Bruce," Steve warned.

Bruce didn't seem to hear and simply nodded at Betty, not even glancing back at Stella as he silently willed his feet to walk and maneuver Betty out of the noisy ballroom. Stella stood staring after them, confusion written on her face. Her eyes locked onto Bruce's hand, gently guiding Betty's back as they exited the room. A small, tentative smile graced her face as she looked over at Steve.

"They are doing the catching up, yes?"

"Yeah," he told her with semi-confidence. Then to himself, "It better be all it is."

Stella heard him, her hearing more than strong enough to understand whispers, but she said nothing. She merely looked down at the ground, suddenly recalling where she had heard the name Betty before.

"He loved her," She said quietly to Steve. The super soldier shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want her to be sad.

"She was before you, Stell. She..." Steve trailed off. It wasn't his place to tell her the story. It was _Bruce_ who should be here comforting her.

"Hey, Starburst! Why so glum?" Tony approached them. "Steve, now don't you look just _ravishing_."

Steve sent him a look that told him now was not the time for jokes. Tony instantly picked up on Stella's mood and turned her to face him, cupping her cheeks.

"What's wrong, sugarplum? What happened? Who's here? Did someone crash my party _again_?"

"Betty's here," Steve told Tony quietly, shifting his eyes around to look out for the pair who had drifted away.

"What." Tony said plainly. "Who invited her?!" He looked at Stella, "Are you okay?"

Stella shrugged, a million thoughts swimming through her mind. Tony frowned and pulled her against his side.

"We'll figure this out, Supernova. How about Steve and I teach you how to dance, hmm?"

A small smile started to form on Stella's face. "Really?"

Steve began to protest, "Tony, I can't da-"

"Yep!" Tony cut off the captain. "We're gonna teach you and we're all gonna have fun. Isn't that right, _Steven?_"

Steve sighed and followed Tony and Stella out onto the dance floor.

"Sure..."

* * *

Bruce stared down at his hands, attempting to bore through them with his eyes. He was desperately trying to look _anywhere_ but at Betty. He didn't know what would happen if he did.

"Are we going to talk or just sit here?" Her voice was just as smooth as he remembered, but something felt wrong about it all. He continued to stare at his hands.

"What do you want me to say?"

Betty linked her fingers together and placed them in her lap. Her eyes trailed off to the wall opposite them as they sat next to each other on a couch built into the wall out in the hall. The lighting coming from the chandeliers was warm, not overbearing and bright like the labs she knew Bruce was used to. She was hoping he would stay calm and not change. Dealing with the Other Guy was not on her agenda.

"I don't know," she said softly. "It's been a while. Did you ever think about me?"

Bruce squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "At first," he replied.

Her eyes narrowed but he wasn't looking, "Only at first?"

He gave her a sideways glance, "Thinking about you all the time only made it hurt worse. It only made the Hulk angry."

"So, he's the Hulk now? I thought he would always be the Other Guy."

Bruce shrugged, "Things change, I guess."

Betty licked her lips and Bruce looked away. "I thought about you too, you know."

"Oh," Bruce didn't know how to respond. He sat and nervously rubbed his hands together.

"I didn't know why you'd left me there, Bruce. We could have figured it out together. I _wanted_ to figure it out together."

Now she was blaming him for leaving her. She was right, though. He _had_ left her. He'd wanted to protect her from himself, from everything. He'd just wanted to keep her safe.

"You were safer without me around, Betty," his voice was strained. He didn't want to have this conversation.

"I didn't care," she whispered. "I wanted to be with _you_, Bruce."

"What about the Hulk?"

Betty was silent.

"He's a part of me, you know." The Hulk made a noise of affirmation in Bruce's mind.

"I know," Betty said, a little sadly, Bruce thought. "But we can...we can work with it."

Bruce knew that several red flags should have been going up in his mind at that moment. But for some reason the part of him that wanted his old life back, the life _before_ the accident, it was just too strong. That part of him won him over and he found himself nodding at Betty. He didn't know what he was going to do, but for the moment he wanted her to stay.

"That woman," Betty's voice brought him back to her, "the one with the pink hair."

Her pull on Bruce shattered when he heard Stella's name. Betty noticed the look of pure bliss that passed over Bruce's face when she mentioned the strange woman in the bright yellow dress she had met earlier. She frowned, adjusting the strap on her dress and taking a small delight in watching Bruce's eyes travel over her exposed collarbone.

"Stella," Bruce said shakily as his eyes regained their focus.

"Stella, yes." Betty nodded. "Is she...she's not human, is she?"

Bruce looked directly at her and replied with confidence, "Of course she is."

Betty's face contorted into a look of pity and Bruce felt a questioning feeling build up inside of him. He hadn't seen someone look at him like that in ages. He didn't know if he had done something wrong. He'd known Betty for years. Perhaps...she knew something that he didn't? Perhaps that was why she was here?

Betty nodded softly, the look still on her face. She grasped his hand lightly in hers and repeated, "Of course she is."

Something odd came over Bruce and he found himself leaning closer to Betty, his mind foggy. He couldn't even remember what he had just been talking about. Something about...no, he couldn't remember a single thing. All he knew was that Betty was in front of him and he missed her - he had missed her so badly. Her smile was inviting as she too drew closer until they were just inches apart. Bruce thought that he had _finally_ got what he had wanted. Their lips nearly touched and he felt so-

"_Bruce_?"

Like a shower of cold water had splashed over him, the shy scientist jolted back to his senses and nearly shrieked in surprise. He frantically and confusedly looked at Betty. His eyes were drawn to someone standing just off in the distance, the person who undoubtedly called his name. It took him a moment to collect himself.

"Natasha?"

The red headed assassin came forward, dressed in her S.H.I.E.L.D uniform and wearing a stern look. Bruce shrunk down in his seat slightly. The Black Widow's stare was fierce.

"Why aren't you inside?" She asked him with a tinge of ice to her tone. Bruce knew she had seen what had almost happened. He didn't even know _why_ it had almost happened. He hadn't felt hypnotized like that since the moment back on the Helicarrier with Loki's staff...

"I would have imagined Tony would be dragging you all over the place." She gave him an even darker look, "_Or_ Stella."

Betty rose from her seat and held out her hand, "Hello, I, uh, I'm-"

"Betty Ross," Natasha said curtly and unenthused. "I know."

Betty kept her mouth shut and refrained from saying anything else.

"We will, uh, we should just go..." Bruce lamely motioned with both his hands towards the doors to the ballroom. Betty side stepped Natasha and the assassin took notice of how Bruce guided her through the doors with a hand at the small of her back. She saw the way he stared at his hand in confusion, as if he was unsure of why he had put it there. Her eyes narrowed at the pair as she followed them inside.

"NATASHA!"

A pink head of curls attacked her around the middle and nearly knocked her off of her feet. The red head steadied herself and laughed slightly, patting the hyperactive woman on the back.

"Hey, Stell."

"You are back!" Stella looked up with wide eyes, her curls a little less tame than they had been just moments ago. Natasha realized that she had actually missed Stella's company while she had been away on her mission. She had actually (although she would _never_ admit this) missed everyone. She had even missed-

"Um, you're not in costume, sweet cheeks."

"Tony," she greeted blandly.

"I-"

Stella cut Tony off with her excitement, "Oh, Natasha, I have missed you dearly! We must do the catching up! Tell me all about your trip and I shall tell you about what happened here. Okay, I shall go first. Well, as soon as you left I was very sad and I went to find Thor but he was not around so I..."

Tony slowly backed away and left Natasha to fend for herself. He noticed Betty standing off to the side, Thor having engaged Bruce in what looked to be an explanatory conversation. Thor was pointing in confusion to a bunch of scantily clad women and Bruce looked to be unsuccessfully explaining the concept of Halloween to the god _again._ From the ever present look of confusion on Thor's face and the deepening blush on Bruce's, Tony surmised that his scientist friend needed some backup. As he was making his way over, he watched Betty pick up a champagne flute off one of the traveling waiter's trays. Light from the chandelier above them caught on the glass and reflected into her eyes.

Tony stopped in his tracks.

* * *

Fury woke up in a daze for what felt like the millionth time. It was still nearly pitch black where he sat in his holding cell. He had no idea where he was or how long he'd been there. The cell that held him was dark and damp, with no windows and no lights. The only light that filtered in was from a crack underneath the door that he guessed led to a hallway. From what he could feel, the cell was filled with two sets of bunk beds, a toilet, and a sink.

A noise sounded from outside and he heard a jumble of keys being fingered through. His door was soon opened and several bright flashlights beamed at him, momentarily stunning his vision. He quickly covered his face with his arm.

"Chin up, you got a roommate," a voice called to him and Fury heard the shuffling of feet as someone was thrown into the room. A feminine voice yelped at she hit the cold, cement floor, and Fury bent down to try and grope around to help her up. He latched on to the woman and pulled her to her feet just as the door slammed shut again.

"Where are we?! What's happening? Who are you?" She immediately asked in a frenzy.

"Calm down, miss," Fury ordered as lightly as he could. He pointedly ignored her questions, "Where did they take you from?"

"My, my work. I work at a-a university." Her voice was either shaking from fear or from anger. He couldn't tell which.

Fury's brow furrowed. "What's your name?"

The woman was silent for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"Betty Ross."

* * *

Tony stood still as he stared at Betty. His eyes narrowed as he watched her turn towards him. She gave him a brief smirk before sauntering up to Bruce again. She stood next to him and fixed her eyes on something behind Tony. The billionaire pivoted on his heel and followed her line of sight all the way across the room. His eyes landed on Stella, animatedly talking to Natasha about all that she'd missed while away on her mission.

He looked over at Betty again and she gave him the quickest, smallest smirk before slightly inclining her head towards him. The light caught her eyes again as she lifted a hand and placed it on Bruce's shoulder. Tony grit his teeth and felt his jaw tighten.

Her eyes had flashed bright blue.

* * *

**Sorry for the slight delay! Finals week and the end of classes and all. It's all over now! Time to devote my life back to Bruce and Stella :D**

**I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Don't worry, I'm definitely not dragging this Betty thing out for much longer - that would annoy me and we have bigger fish to fry with this sequel! You shall see in due time :]**

**Thank you all for the continuous support and the amazing reviews! Y'all seriously make my day with them! Keep 'em coming!**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter and as always, reviews make my day! You're all so amazing! (And I hope you all loved Iron Man 3 as much as I did, ohhhh my goooooodness!)**

**Cheers!**

**Nikki xx**


End file.
